Fungi Fun
Here in South-central Alaska, Fall and the State Fair arrive around the same time, as does the seasonal rain. But that’s all right because rain triggers the emergence of mushrooms. And we have a wide variety of fungi to enjoy.
Inky caps—Coprinus species
Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the common ink cap, tippler’s bane, or inky cap, is an edible mushroom, but you dare not consume an alcoholic beverage with this mushroom as it will act as a vomitive and you’ll sure lose your meal. It was once named
Coprinus atramentarius, as you’ll see in older field guides. Thanks to Dr. Gary Laursen for the corrections.
Identification
Most mushrooms do not have a common name, so if you want to learn more about them, you will be by necessity, learning proper names. A good field guide specific to your locale can be helpful. To start, there is a small booklet called
Mushrooms of the National Forests of Alaska available from the Forest Service. You can download a copy from the website at:
Mushrooms of the National Forests in Alaska (usda.gov). It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the science behind mushrooms, lichens and other fungi, but again, I suggest just sampling the information available and not get in too deep. Unless you want to!
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